Jesus is our Perfect Example of ministry today!
When Jesus began His earthly ministry, what struck people the most was His way of dealing with evil spirits. This was one miracle of Jesus which had never previously been recorded in the Old Testament.
His other miracles, healing, provision of food, control of nature, had already been recorded in the Old Testament. But there is no Old Testament record of driving out evil spirits. The people who witnessed it were immediately gripped by it and became excited about it.
Mark recorded by The Holy Spirit in Mark chapter 1:
23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he (the spirit, not the man) cried out,
24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know Who You are-the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus rebuked him (the spirit), saying, “Be quiet (muzzled), and come out of him!”
26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”
28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
The first miracle of Jesus’ ministry recorded in Mark was the expulsion of the unclean spirit from the demonized man. It took the disciples more than a year to begin to realize Who He really was. The unclean spirit knew immediately and feared Him. Notice the combination of “we” and “I’ which is very typical and characteristic of demons.
There are three phrases used interchangeably: demons, evil spirits, and unclean spirits. There are specific types of spirits such as the spirit of infirmity or a spirit of fear.
There were very dramatic and physical manifestations: the man’s body shook violently in spasms, and the demon hurled him to the floor and shrieked in a loud voice. It was not the kind of behavior that was normal in the synagogue. How many people in church services today could process this event without fear? Instead of delivering the man, most churches would have ushered the man out of the church; but Jesus put the demon out of the man and left the man in the synagogue.
If you begin to get manifestations of evil spirits and deal with them as Jesus did, your reputation will go all around immediately. Jesus did not deal with the man; He dealt with the spirit in the man… another person in that man.
There is no indication that the man had behaved but normally before. Before confronting Jesus, no one had a clue that the man was being demonized. It was the Presence of Jesus with the anointing of The Holy Spirit upon Him, that brought out the unseen presence of the demon in the man.
As I recently wrote, this same event was recorded in Luke chapter 4.
Back to Mark, chapter 1, we read a further development in His ministry:
32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demonized.
33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and expelled many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Note, a true Christian cannot be possessed by the devil, he is possessed by Jesus. However, he can be demonized. They can be afflicted and affected by demons; areas in their lives and character where they are not themselves fully in control. They can be demonized but not possessed by satan.
Invariably, Jesus dealt with the sick and the demonized in one overall operation. Does He expect us to do the same?
Jesus clearly states in Mark chapter 16:
15 And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My Name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new Tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Interesting, Jesus mentions casting out demons before He mentions healing the sick!